Talk:BETA/@comment-27194581-20151111143100/@comment-4391208-20151122083748
1. BattleTech has units equipped with energy weapons. In an anti-BETA comparison with TSFs the usage of energy weapons is usually regarded as a distinct advantage (eg. being able to melt through Destroyer shells rather than having to maneuver behind to hit them, or being more effective against thick-hide units like the Fort-class). They also have autocannons with some impressive calibers, and, with the exception of the Destroyer/Fort, anti-armor means very little to the BETA, so explosive shells will be effective against a lot of them. Gauss weapons are also widespread amongst 'Mechs, Elementals, and infantry forces, so that's another plus point. Even if an individual gun isn't as powerful as the EML-99X, Gauss weapons are also not one-off prototypes. 2. The G-Bomb is definitely deadlier. Unlike nuclear weaponry, G-Bomb effects, to summarize, creates an area of wildly-fluctuating gravitational forces that shred/compress any object(s) caught within. Unlike the BETA that are immune to radiation effects from the G-bomb and can probably survive the pressure wave once beyond a certain radius from the blast center (they can survive cosmic radiation and vacuum conditions), the G-bomb's blast radius is a lot larger, and its destructive effects are entirely dependent on gravitational fluctuations - that translates to direct, physical damage to the BETA. And G-bombs, once armed and counting down, generate their own Rutherford Field, so they can't be shot down by Laser-class either. That's another plus for G-bombs. 3. There are a few examples. In 1973, during the Kashgar Landing, Laser-class were produced and used as anti-air defences against Chinese forces. Laser-class are usually produced only at Hives at Stage 3; even for a Hive landing unit, it took 19 days for the Laser-class to appear. During Operation Lucifer in 1999, surviving BETA withdrew from the Yokohama Hive after the G-bomb blasts, despite the fact that human forces were still far from invading the Hive. Much later in 2001, Yuuko theorizes that it might have been an effort by the Superior to "give up" a Hive to the humans so that it could study them even as they studied the BETA, including the fact that it showed abnormal growth rate and several Phase 4 Hive characteristics in order to (probably) lure the humans into attacking it. In 2001, during the Invasion of Niigata in UL, the BETA were able to use pre-dug tunnels to evade pursuing IJMDF forces. This was first avoided in Alt. due to Takeru's warnings, but in the Defense of Yokohama Base he makes the connection after reviewing the data and battle actions of the BETA. During Operation Ouka, the 2001/2002 Kashgar Hive raid, Laser-class deliberately avoided firing on anti-Laser munitions, after the Superior obtained data on AL mechanisms from the 00 Unit. The unknown BETA type, seen at the Evensk Hive during Total Eclipse's final act, is suspected to have been created in order to shoot down the Susanoo IV, which the Superior gained knowledge of after the 00 Unit's repeated plug-ins to the Yokohama Hive. As of that point in the story the Evensk Hive was still Phase 2, without its own Laser-class, but was able to produce a G-Element intensive BETA unit. 4. I'm sorry, I don't understand this question. 5. Probably yes, but 'Mech lasers are pulse-fired, whereas BETA lasers are coherent, sustained beams. They probably have no issues taking a sustained shot at a time as long as it doesn't light the same area, but attempting to tank all oncoming Lasers is still a bad idea. Heavy Lasers, though, are probably best avoided altogether.